016 CASES OF NOUNS

53. Malayalim nouns have eight cases, viz. the Nominative, Genitive,
Dative, Accusative and four Ablatives It is usual among Native teachers of the Indian languages, to classify the cases of nouns by numbers; which, with very few exceptions, are arranged as follow; . To these may added the Vocative, which however, is for the most part, like the accusative, sometimes like the nominative, and in a few instances, denoted by the termination ആ, ൟ, or മെ, as,
പുത്രാ, Oh Son!
സ്വാമീ, Oh Lord, or Sir!
ദൈവമെ, Oh God!
54. The particles that, in combination with nouns, form the different cases, are as follows.
55. Nouns whose nominative end in ം, drop that character; and add ത്ത, to which the above signs, beginning with ഇന്റെ, are added for the different cases. To most other nouns the signs are added to the nominative in its full shape.
56. The letter വ, or യ, is often inserted for the sake of euphony: other slight changes also take place, which will be fully illustrated by the examples in the following chapter.